Lucia Kendall on Her Rapid Rise, England Debut, and Ambitions with Aston Villa
Lucia Kendall, the 22-year-old midfielder, has seen a remarkable rise in her career over the past year. After joining Aston Villa from Southampton in July last year, she quickly made her mark in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Within weeks of her WSL debut against Chelsea, she earned a call-up to the senior England squad under Sarina Wiegman. Two weeks later, Kendall made her full England debut versus Australia and was named Player of the Match.
The rapid succession of milestones continued when she scored at Southampton's St. Mary's Stadium during a friendly against Ghana and appeared in the starting lineup for England’s World Cup qualifier against Spain at Wembley, which England won 1-0.
A Season to Remember
Kendall reflects on this whirlwind season with disbelief. Starting 16 out of 22 WSL matches in her first top-flight campaign is impressive, yet it barely scratches the surface of her year. She admits she still finds it hard to fully grasp her achievements so far.
Experience Builds Confidence
Her maturity and calmness come from years of senior football experience, even though much of it was at lower tiers. Before moving to Villa, she spent five years playing for Southampton, gaining valuable experience in the fourth, third, and second tiers of women's football in England. This background helped her adapt quickly to the faster pace and higher demands of the WSL.
Kendall points out that the toughest challenge wasn't on the pitch but adjusting to living away from home for the first time. The game itself felt like a natural progression thanks to her earlier years taking charge on the field as a teenager.
International Breakthrough and Trust
Her breakthrough into the England team came just months after the Lionesses lifted their second consecutive European Championship. Despite the swift rise, Kendall remains grounded, admitting she hasn't quite internalized her status as an England player.
“I still don’t feel like that,” she said, laughing when asked if she feels like a full Lioness yet. “I don’t think I’ll feel like that for a while.”
She balances confidence with respect for the stage she's on, believing that this blend helped her deliver standout performances early on.
Trust from coaches played a big part in her development. Sarina Wiegman reassured Kendall before her debut, telling her, “You deserve to be playing.” That openness encouraged her to relax and enjoy the moment. At club level, Villa manager Natalia Arroyo’s faith in young players gave Kendall the certainty that good performances would earn her starting spots.
Goals for the Future
With one season in the WSL behind her, Kendall is setting her sights higher. After initially focusing on surviving in the top league, she now wants to have a bigger influence on games, through scoring, assisting, and taking more risks on the ball.
She aims to master all three midfield roles: she played deeper at Villa, enjoys dictating play, and feels most comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder for England. Earlier in her career at Southampton, she scored 21 goals in 24 games as a No. 10, though she doesn’t see that as her natural position.
Looking Ahead to the World Cup
Next summer's 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil is a major focus for Kendall. She describes it as her “north star,” a guiding goal giving her direction, but she refuses to let it overwhelm her daily routine. Instead, she concentrates on staying fit, confident, and improving at Aston Villa, where success on the club level will strengthen her chances of being part of the England squad.
“Come the summer, I want to be there,” Kendall said about the World Cup. “But there’s so much that has to go right and so many things I have to do... Every day, I can’t put pressure on myself. The important thing is for us at Villa to be as successful as possible, and I want to play as big a part in that as I can.”
